Villarrín de Campos is located in a shallow depression in the plateau. It stands at 683.9 m above sea level. It would seem that the countryside in Villarrín is a vast plain but it is not, towards the north it gently slopes up until it reaches 702 m at Panaderos Road. On the west, it reaches 726 meters at Atalaya (the highest point) and 700 meters in the Grieta Marta lagoon. On the South, altitude remains stable at 680 meters up to the boundary with Villalba. The municipality of Villarrín is located between 41º 50' and 42° South latitude and 1º 56' and 2° 01' West longitude.

Sights near Villarrín de Campos

There are many places we may visit, but the must-sees include the Quintos bridge, the ruins of Castrotorafe , San Cebrián, Moreruela Monastery, Villafáfila lagoons... and a little further away Zamora, Toro, Villalpando...

Villafáfila Lagoons

Consisting of three main lagoons -Salina Grande, Barillos and Salinas- and a number of smaller wetlands, the area is located on clay soils around the semi-endorheic basin of the river Salado. Around the flooded areas there is a territory dominated by farmland which is the home for one of the most emblematic birds in Villafáfila: the great bustard. Nearly 2,000 of these large birds live here, thus making it the largest colony in the world. The huge amounts of greylag geese that choose to spend the winter in these lagoons is also remarkable.

The Golf Course

A par 35, 9 hole course, flat and enjoyable to play, very technical due to the lakes and the river Villarrín, which flows across the entire course. As it is really technical, the players can enjoy both the long and short shots. Wide fairways. Completely flat greens where putting is easy and the players will enjoy themselves. With the traditional combination of 4 par 4 holes, 3 par 3holes and 2 par 5 holes.

Easter is amazing in Villarrín de Campos. Wonderful and breathtaking processions are held, when the sculptures of the Christs or Virgins or the Crosses are brought out of the church to take part in the fervent, silent processions. The brethren and the villagers carry the images very devoutly. They take pride in carrying them and participating in the procession.

Nature

Geology

The town sits on sedimentary land created by large and powerful rivers. The main types of sediments we can find are sandstones, conglomerates and limestones. The most recent deposits are the quaternary salt marshes formed by the Salado creek. The Salinas lagoon can be found in Villarrín. It has been drained so the land can be used in a productive way. This town is located within the “Lagunas de Villafáfila” set of lagoons.

Vegetation

The absence of woodlands is evident, partly due to the felling of oaks and gall-oaks. The plant families closely linked to the Salado creek and the lagoons that we can find include reeds, cattails, tamarisk and halophytes in general. The shrubbery in the whole plain is limited to the sporadic presence of wild rose, common bramble, Spanish broom, broom and grapevine. As a result of their special characteristics, the vegetation in the lagoons is very different from that in the surroundings, with species normally found in brackish areas near the sea. Inside the lagoons, the most typical species is nutsedge or nutgrass, usually found in coastal marshes, which is a major source of food for the geese. There is also a significant presence of Bermuda grass typical of wet meadows close to the Mediterranean coast. Along the rivers Valderaduey and Salado there are a large number of cattails, reeds and tamarisk as well as algae known as duckweed or lesser duckweed. In the lagoon edges and nearby meadows we can find black oyster plant, pelujo, slender hare’s ear, thinleaf orach, daisy, field bindweed, couch grass, corn sow thistle, leno, galoya, greater celandine, sea heath, espiguera, clover, garlic, segadilla ancha, segadilla estrecha, dropseed, spurge, doncella, cotton thistle, patucos, seablite and thyme, among others lacking a common name. Along with wheat, barley, alfalfa and sunflower crops, we can see poppies, field eryngo or chamomile, which has a great reputation throughout the region. Typical vegetation in Villarrín includes spiny restharrow (ononis spinosa), which can be found in large groups, Ruta montana (mountain rue), esparto grass, Verbascum (mullein), etc.

Wildlife

The arrival of spring , which occurs late in this area, brings numerous anatidae to the lagoons and ponds as geese and cranes prepare for the journey back to their breeding grounds, thousands of kilometers away in northern Europe. The great bustard is the flagship and iconic bird of this land. The courtship starts in February and the ‘ruedas’, one of the most amazing ornithological spectacles in Europe take place as soon as the spring begins. Larks and orioles fill the sky with their songs while the partridge starts mating and the breeding season has already arrived for the peregrine falcon. As spring progresses, curlews arrive to find a nest and the little bustard and Montagu's harrier also start courtship. Swallows and common house martins rebuild their mud nests in the houses of the villages and there are already some storks in the nest of the tower. Amphibians are still a common sight in the area although less so than in the past. We should highlight the presence of the Iberian ribbed newt, which belongs to the family of salamanders, Bosca’s newt, common in wells and waterwheels, as well as the marbled newt, which belongs to the urodeles. Among anurans, we must highlight the presence of the iberian water frog, very abundant throughout the area, the European tree frog in San Agustín del Pozo and Manganeses de la Lampreana, the natterjack toad on the edges of all wetlands, the spadefoot toad in Villafáfila, Revellinos and Villarrín de Campos and the Iberain painted frog, mostly in Revellinos and Villafáfila.